Today on this fine saturday we celebrate the feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola, who happens to be one of the patron saints for the upcoming World youth day.
He is, as they might say, a big gun in the church, especially having been raised to the honor roll, the highest honor roll, canonized a saint for the ages, a heavenly helper for intercessory prayer.
St. Ignatius, the spanish saint, is the founder of the Jesuits, that motely crew that was supoosed to be the right arm of the Pope in preaching and teaching and sanctifying.
Thoguh the Jesuits have been through some tough times, St. Ignatius remains steadfast in his prayer for us all.
The saint is known for the little saying, Ad Majorem Dei Gloria, for the greater glory of God. This was the call sign he used to determine whether he should give his life to something, a particular task or decision or not.
If it gave glory to God then he would dive right in. This was his way of discerning his course of action in life. And we see where it got him...there is a St. in front of his name which is far better than any other prefixes w emight imagine or desire.
Today most people rather than saying and thinking and praying ad majorem Dei gloria go around mumbling to themselevs ad majorem mei gloria, be it to my greater glory and thus we find ourselevs in quite the pickle of a society or should I say the brine, vinegary and salty, not unlike Sodom and Gomorrah.
Oh yes that famous passage from Sacred Scripture, words from the lips of our saviour come to mind, "remember the wife of Lot."
She too thought it best to go through life with the call sign, "ad majorem Mei gloria...(Genesis 19:15-26).
The choice is ours as it always his. Our Heavenly Father will not take that choice from us but our choices do have consequences. The question is will those conseuence lead the greater glory of God for only then will we arrive at true glory itself.
Ad Majorem Dei Gloria (might make a great tatoo but i know for a fact it makes for a greater life lived.)
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